


Connected

by LetoaSai



Series: StrifeHart Fluff [38]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Illnesses, Leukemia, M/M, Twins meeting, good news, support animal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22595197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: Leon wasn't sure if Riku was excited or terrified to meet his twin, but they were going to find out.
Relationships: Cloud/Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Leon (Kingdom Hearts)/Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife
Series: StrifeHart Fluff [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1108581
Comments: 31
Kudos: 94





	Connected

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts 
> 
> Slides a bit into Riku's POV too.

Riku’s grip on Leon’s hand was like an iron vice. Hospitals were intimidating to start with, but a hospital that was filled with children had to be a brand new kind of scary for a kid. 

Cloud and Leon had finally sat down and told the boys about their next adoption. They were still using all of their resources to try to find Xion, but learning about Reiku had practically fallen into their laps. They’d spoken to Riku first, explaining that the boy was his brother and twin, and the poor kid had shut down for two days. 

It was hard to understand that the explanation was more than just words. There was a real little boy attached to this story. Another Riku. 

Cloud and Leon could both remember Riku laughing and playing with the twins when they were tiny, looking up at his parents and asking if he had a twin too. Did people come in twos?

They could remember laughing and telling Riku, no. Not everyone had a twin. 

Now it felt like they lied. Had it really been an innocent question at the time, or had Riku remembered having a brother? He’d been so small they didn’t think it possible, but maybe he had. He’d had eight foster homes before the age of two because of his quiet habits and possible future medical needs. 

Riku didn’t remember a time before Cloud and Leon but he was aware of the details. Now he had questions. Were they both taken from his addict mother at the same time or had they been separated before that? 

Cloud Riku have been sick too? Why was Reiku sick and Riku not? Why didn’t they know he had a twin?

That last one was easier to gloss over. Even at nine years old now he knew the system wasn’t perfect. It was the whole reason they were looking for Xion. Ventus and Vanitas weren’t listed as having a sister either. 

For two days, he didn’t speak and barely ate, too many swirling thoughts in his head that he was trying to understand. There was someone that looked like him. They had the same birthday and the same biological parents. But they didn’t have the same real parents, and that made him sad. Reiku not having Cloud and Leon made him sad. 

It was a long two days stuck in his head, clinging to either Sora or Roxas while his own mind gave him plenty to think about. It took some time but he can't to a decision. He wanted to meet Reiku, so he’s asked Leon and here they were, in a hospital for sick children. It was a morbid thought, but Riku couldn’t stop wondering how many of them were dying like Reiku was. 

“You okay?” Leon squeezed his hand back. 

Riku nodded, tugging at his hat so it wasn’t covering his eyes. It was new, black and yellow, soft and had just been given to him that morning by Aerith. In his hand was it’s duplicate, something to be given to Reiku. Their first shared twin thing. 

Sora and Roxas didn’t dress identically anymore the way they used to, but they shared plenty of things that tended to come in different colors. 

Ventus and Vanitas both had the same jacket in different colors too. Twin things could be nice? He’d find out. 

“He knows about me?” Riku asked, he’d asked several times already but Leon still answered as if it were the first. 

“Yes. He knows.” 

Riku bit at his lip, wondering if that made things better or worse. Was he mad Riku wasn’t sick? That Riku got to go home while he lived at the hospital? It made his stomach roll unhappily again. 

“What if he doesn’t like me?” 

“He doesn’t know you yet.” Leon said quietly. “And you don’t know him yet. That’s why you’re meeting.” 

Riku’s lips pressed together tightly again, thoughts making him anxious. 

Leon squeezed his hand again and walked them through the halls that were getting to be familiar to him. They had only just arrived at the nurses station when they bumped into Dr. Vexen and his intern Yazoo. Both looked at Riku in open surprise. It probably wasn’t so different from how Leon first looked at Reiku. 

It was a surprise to see a healthy version of the child they’d been caring for for years.

“Ah.” Vexen said, his wit returning. “A first meeting then?” 

“Right.” Leon said with another squeeze to Riku’s fingers. 

He hummed his affirmative and managed to smile at Riku. “I’ve heard a lot about you Riku. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Riku nodded but shyly attached himself to Leon’s side so he didn’t really need to answer. Fortunately the doctor didn’t try to shake his hand, Riku hated that. Leon’s hand on his shoulder made him feel shielded from the doctor that was evidently nicer than he looked. 

“Take your time. Reiku did not have treatment today so he’ll be a little more energetic.” Dr. Vexen said and Leon nodded. 

He always hated to see the child so exhausted after being pumped with so many medicines. 

Leon was back to guiding his son through the halls and finally knocked on a door that was already propped open. Reiku was in bed, looking bored out of his mind with a book in his lap and his dog at his side. He was pale and obviously sickly looking. For all he resembled Riku he was thin and hairless. He lacked the energy healthy children had but that wasn’t at all unusual for someone in his state. 

Reiku looked up, smiling a little when he saw Leon was his visitor instead of a nurse but his look turned to one shock when he saw Riku peeking around Leon’s back. It was one thing to be told you had a twin brother, and another thing entirely to see someone nearly identical to yourself. 

Leon had to nudge Riku into the room, even if the nudge closer resembled a drag. 

Shadow lifted her head and gave a soft woof, tongue lolling out of her mouth. 

“Reiku. This is Riku.” Leon said, hoping one of them would say something. 

Riku’s eyes were large, trying to understand what he was seeing. Illness was a large thing for a child to comprehend and seeing it first hand made all the difference. 

“Hi.” Reiku offered a smile, having less to adjust to. There was envy over Riku’s nest of silver hair but no more then else that had a head full of hair and eyebrows. 

Riku waved but his lips were zipped shut tight. He stood closer to the bed, eyes going back and forth between Reiku and his dog. 

“Riku isn’t always much for words.” Leon explained quietly, not wanting Reiku to take it personally should Riku be unable to answer. 

Reiku tilted his head to the side, considering that before nodding. “Okay. I like to talk. Not always someone hanging around to talk to.” He paused. “But when i’m tired from treatment i don’t feel like it, so i get not talking too.” 

Leon smiled warmly, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing Shadow’s head. “What are you reading?” 

Reiku closed the book and held it out to show Leon. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” 

“Ah good choice.” Leon smiled, the teacher in him pleased. “One of Riku’s favorite things is reading too. Maybe we could do a book exchange.” 

Reiku smiled brightly. “I’d like that. It’s kinda the closest i can get to some stuff.” 

“Like what?” Leon asked, glancing between them. Riku was still too nervous. 

“Like snow.” Reiku said, patting the book. “I’ve seen snow but i’ve never gotten to go outside in it.” He thought about it. “The sea. I’ve never seen the sea. I want to rock climb and...all kinds of stuff. Stuff you can do in books.” 

“We’ll do all kinds of things.” Leon promised, already thinking of the trips to Destiny Island they would make in the summer. 

Reiku’s smile was thin, not believing Leon for a second. He knew the odds of him leaving the hospital weren’t good. “Okay.” 

“We’ll do all kinds of things you’ve never been able to do before.” Leon repeated. “Because you are going to get well.” 

“Okay.” Reiku repeated in the same placating tone. 

Riku inched a little closer, still saying nothing but he thrust his hand out with the hat he brought. Reiku looked mildly surprised but took the hat and only glanced up once to double check that it matched the one Riku wore. 

“It’s for me?” he asked and Riku nodded. 

Leon smiled the second Reiku pulled off the hat he wore to put on the new one. They looked the same now. Same eyes, same face. With much of their heads covered you could hardly see a difference. 

“Thank you.” Reiku beamed and Riku seemed to ease. His gift hadn’t been rejected and his brother wasn’t...well, at deaths door. 

It made the hospital a little less scary with Reiku able to talk and smile. 

Shadow snuffed forward again, nosing against Riku and forcing a smile to crack his calm facade. 

“Shadows a good dog.” Reiku said, smiling at Riku’s surprise at being booped. “He’s my support dog.” 

Riku stared, confusion coloring his features that Reiku seemed to understand. 

“Yeah, support dogs are for people who get stressed out a lot.” Reiku said. “Mine’s um…” he looked like he was thinking of the right words. “For emotional issues? I’m lonely even with the other kids here and sick cause of the leukemia and the medicines for the leukemia. Shadow keeps me company. Keeps me relaxed.” 

Riku nodded once and smiled faintly when Shadow stretched to bump at his face again. 

“So i guess he’s just picking up on your nerves.” 

Riku reached out to rub the dogs head carefully and it seemed to delight Reiku to be able to share. 

It was the first time Leon had come to see him where he didn’t immediately start asking about news on Xion, but facing his twin for the first was a big deal. 

“I have a list of books i get to pick from.” Reiku said, grabbing a folder off his bedside table that held his coloring books. He pulled out a piece of paper that was a list of books brought to him from the library and handed it to Riku. “Have you read any?” 

Leon smiled when Riku climbed up onto the bed beside his brother to look over the list and started pointing out the titles he recognized. It was lucky Reiku didn’t seem bothered to carry on the conversation alone but Riku was participating in his own way. 

“Mr. Strifehart.” Dr. Vexen appeared at the door. “A moment?” 

Leon nodded once, leaving the boys in Shadow’s care to speak with the doctor. Every time something like this happened he braced himself for bad news. What could be wrong now? 

“I wanted to speak with you immediately.” Vexen said, clipboard of papers in hand but that wasn’t unusual. “We have received copies of your adoption forms. I would like to congratulate you on that.” 

“Thank you.” Leon said carefully, glancing back at the boys. Their heads were knocked together close and they had Reiku’s book open in front of them. They were starting at the beginning. There was something distinctly adorable about it. 

“I have news.” Vexen cut into his thoughts. “I wanted to tell you right away.” He held the clipboard out for Leon to take it. 

“What is it?” 

“The results of the latest screenings.” Vexen said. It was the first time Leon had seen any of the results and it immediately put him on edge. 

He skimmed the contents, emotions surging when he saw the ideal results. 

_Donor Match- Vincent Valentine-Highwind._

**Author's Note:**

> Series Master List. In order. Mostly. 
> 
> Out of Order  
> A Winning Distraction (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Quiet Midnight (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Radiant Christmas (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> First Dance  
> Until Monday  
> Repeat  
> Not enough treats  
> Wager  
> Calling Home (technically just before and just after Wager)  
> Renewals   
> Date Night  
> Sick Lions  
> Bad Memories  
> Not Perfect (could really fit in a few places, here is fine)  
> Patience  
> Long Weekends  
> Fever  
> Melee  
> Time will Tell  
> Rumble  
> Fortitude  
> A Day for Two  
> Summer Sun  
> Homemade  
> Moving on  
> Probably Haunted  
> The Night Before: by Kutikue  
> It’s only two more  
> Safeguard  
> Finding Sleep  
> Wishes  
> Lights out  
> Professional Aid  
> Hope: by Jokul_Nightfury_Frost  
> Match  
> Surrounded by Kindness  
> Connected  
> Christmas Wisdom   
> On the Eve


End file.
